


Each Time You Get Hurt (I Don't Want You To Change)

by NoPitSoDeep



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe-Demons, Daemon Feels, Daemons, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Graphic Torture, Superhusbands, im so mean to tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-16
Updated: 2013-02-16
Packaged: 2017-11-29 10:53:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/686128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoPitSoDeep/pseuds/NoPitSoDeep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daemon AU. Tony and his Burmese python daemon, Jarvis, are kidnapped. In the aftermath, Steve and Seraphina go to them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Each Time You Get Hurt (I Don't Want You To Change)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Illusions by VNV Nation. 
> 
> I own nothing.

"Needs help adjusting."

"Catatonic." 

"Unresponsive." 

 

These are just a few of the words Steve hears being thrown around as he and Seraphina walk through the hallways at SHIELD medical, his hands shaking, her tail twitching uncontrollably from time to time. They've seen the videos. The disturbing, heart-wrenching footage of Tony and Jarvis in the cage. 

 

The kidnappers were fast, and calculated, and had known exactly what they were doing. They'd taken Tony, the very heart of the team, the piece that so effectively linked them together, and left everyone else unharmed. 

 

That was three weeks ago. 

 

Steve remembers vividly the first video they received at the tower, three days after Tony's disappearance. Remembers the way Bruce gripped Nellie tight to his chest as Tony screamed. Remembers Natasha guiding Solomon up onto her arm and around her neck as the spider clung to her hair. 

 

He remembers holding Seraphina close, burying his face in the ruff around her neck as they watched Jarvis being picked up, and dragged away. As Tony thrashed violently toward his daemon, calling out the pythons name more desperately by the second as Jarvis was strapped down on the long, metal table they had set up just for him. 

 

That was only the first video. Six made their way to Stark Tower, all showing the billionaire and his daemon in different levels of duress, one, just one, in which Jarvis was shoved under water, and kept there, twisting and turning and fighting for air as Tony choked and sobbed alone in the dark. 

 

But now. Now Tony's here. Really, fully here, and Steve can't help the quickness of his steps as they get closer to the room, pausing just in front of the door. 

 

"They're going to be okay." Sera says softly, nudging her snout against Steve's thigh, and he reaches down, letting his fingers slide into her fur. 

 

"I hope so." 

 

The supersoldier pushes open the door, and immediately his heart wrenches. Tony is curled in the corner of the room on the floor, with Jarvis wrapped securely around his neck and chest, the length of the giant snakes body encompassing most of Tony's upper half. His arms are wrapped protectively around both himself and his daemon, and he's _shaking_ , quivering on the tile floor as though he's freezing to death. 

 

Sera goes first, stepping in ahead of Steve while he closes the door, and padding unabashedly to where Tony and Jarvis are curled up together. Steve follows shortly after, only stopping when he can kneel in front of both of them, his hands coming to rest gently on Tony's shins while Sera just barely brushes her nose over one of the bandages around Jarvis's midsection, whispering something that only the snake can hear. 

 

"Tony." Steve murmurs, and his hands slide back, over Tony's thighs and up into his sides, more careful than ever not to even brush Jarvis with the tips of his fingers. He and the snake touch, true, and when the four of them fall asleep it is more often than not in a tangle of limbs and paws on the bed, but after this, Steve is cautious. No mistakes. Not with this. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, Tony looks up, his eyes wide and vulnerable, and so, so scared, and it's all Steve can do not to draw him into his arms and never let go again. 

 

After a long, long moment, Jarvis stirs, sliding down from around Tony's neck to flick his tongue over Sera's nose. Tony just stares, as though waiting for Steve to do something, anything. Steve doesn't. He can't. This is up to Tony, now. 

 

He's about to give up hope when he feels the soft brush of Tony's fingertips over the backs of his hands, an realizes that Jarvis has disentangled himself enough that Tony's hands are free. Steve hesitantly turns his hands, taking Tony's in his own, and simply holds him, there, not moving. Sera and Jarvis begin to tangle themselves together, Jarvis sliding down around Sera's neck, although never letting his tail end unwrap from around Tony's upper arm. 

 

Steve leans forward, and presses a soft kiss to Tony's lips, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of his hands, and is taken by surprise when Tony kisses back. 

 

"Hey, old man." He finally croaks, managing the ghost of a smile, and Steve grins, squeezing Tony's fingers gently. 

 

"Hey." He whispers, and pulls Tony close, sliding his arms over the other mans shoulders while Tony's hands come up to grip his sides. Jarvis and Seraphina move, the python sliding around Stevw's abdomen while the Great Dane nuzzles her nose into Tony's stomach, and Steve quietly thinks to himself that, yeah. They're going to be okay. 


End file.
